Not impressed here. Core2 Duo 2GHz with 2GB RAM on a 10x1 high speed cable connection and it was EXTREMELY slow loading just about any site. I will give it a thumbs up for the tabs across the top. How long before we see this in FF???

Used it - not impressed so far. Good for only for a spare browser at this point

Chrome has a long away to go.

There's not status bar - and I couldn't find a way to 'make it so'.

It's barely customizable. Meaning there are features I can't turn on (like clearing out private data) and can't turn off: the 'where I've surfed history').

Where's the equivalent of "about:config" that geeks like so much?

NEEDS ADD-ONS!! REPEAT - NEEDS ADD-ONS!!

NO!! I don't like 'Google Gadgets'.

However, I did find Chrome fast.

I liked Incognito mode. Something Firefox should add as a default setting (and Chrome too, by the way).

BUT this is Chrome's first public beta that I know of. We'll see if the Google supergeeks are listening or are just standing there, like the MS weanies, with their arms arrogantly folded and mind closed.

I don't want to test this at work, but the Mac version isn't ready yet (and how about the Linux version?) -- so I guess I will test this at work...

Our Web developer is digging in.

I used Chrome for a couple of hours uploading pictures to ShutterFly and then arranging the pics into albums. During that time, Chrome died about 3 times.

Too buggy for full time use right now; but I'd use it when the bugs are gone.

As many others have already noted elsewhere, FF (and Opera) will continue to retain a grip on discriminating users until Chrome allows extensions equivalent to eg AdBlock or NoScript. Or allows for the importing of FF extensions en bloc. This for a smooth and irritation-free browsing experience. We must be allowed to choose for ourselves how much commercial "information" we'll tolerate, and how much shopping we need. Even if this is against the Great American Dream of individual liberty and freedom of choice and the pursuit of (presumably) individual happiness. This last sentence was ironic, just in case nobody noticed ;-)

So, Chrome for the incognito function and maybe Google stuff with its relatively discreet ads, and until further notice FF for the rest (and I'm sure Opera for those who swear by it).

it's pretty tight .

Although it looks pretty, I have seen several sites that don't render properly. Ultimately, I think Firefox still has a huge edge because of it's plug-in mechanism. The ability for 3rd parties to readily "enhance" the core browser has allowed for a huge number of useful tools which are unmatched in any other browser.

I started playing with Chrome as soon as it was available yesterday. There is a glimmer of hope for it. I found page loads were quicker in some cases and in other, ff still had the upper hand. I managed to crash it using a local web based application and had some seizures while downloading some small programs. Chrome also appears to have issues from time to time with pop-up windows associated with download links. All in all, not to bad for Google's first beta release.

I played with it a little yesterday and saw no benefit over Firefox and hopefully with Firefox I won't have to worry about being inundated in the future with browser ads (I get enough with Google searching, but with both pushing ads, it will be a bit too much).

I tried Chrome on a number of sites and on one of the sites using a Jave app, Chome hung for several minutes. It would not let me close that tab or switch to any other tabs that were open. My system, however, did let me switch to other applications, including Internet Explorer. The other applications worked normally, while Chrome was still hung up.

I was impressed until it Crashed in Adobe Flashplayer on a french web site like you tube

I was impressed again until an Adobe PDF downloaded by Chrome failed to delete from download folder
some kind of loop between windows explorer delete function and Chrome file in use just froze both to the point Taskman could not even load.

The merging of the address bar and search bar in Chrome gives Google too much control over navigation. It separates companies and website operators from their website addresses and brands.

Companies spend heavily to establish and maintain brands. Google has just imposed itself between consumers and businesses. Direct navigation has now become proprietary search, whereby Google uses its discretion to filter out web addresses and domains that it deems less relevant.

I object and I hope you do too.

Impressed!!!

The miminalist approach to design that is that hallmark of Google, take on additional meaning when viewed in Chrome. While I, like everyone else, have only been using it for a short while, I am very impressed with the ease of use, (although the design is quite different than any other browser, I was sailing away almost instantly), the speed (AMD 64, Athlon X2. 2 GB Ram, hardly a speed demon of a system), and the novel features including the dynamic tab features. While there may not be any add-ons at this time, come on people, its only a beta version, and I am sure that the add-ons on well on there way, and if not, write your own. For my web surfing habits, not to be confused with anyone else's, nor to be given second-class status to anyone else's, I agree that it is a most enticing and ambitious unveiling. And remember folks, you can always change the default search engine, and if you are afraid that Google has too much control over navigation, where have you been the last few years...lol..

I cannot get it to use the corp proxy. It keeps asking for username and password, which is not required in our proxy server, just a link to automatic configuration script. it is not ready for prime time. If you want to get users to use it, make sure that they can use it at work alone with home.

Whoah! Impressed? But before saying more about that, most importantly, how many browsers require you to accept a service and conditions of use agreement (and a big one at that) just to install the program? (Or rather, even worse, basically allow them to install it on your computer?) That's a big red flag for me.

At any given time I have a lot of browsers on my comps (which atm provide 3 OSs): IE 7 and 6, Opera, Firefox 2 & 3, SeaMonkey, Camino, Netscape 8.1, and Safari. I have not yet installed Chrome because of the forced agreement of terms, so what I know about it is based on what I've read and seen. I'll probably install it on the accounting PC at one of my jobs just to see it live, but I honestly doubt that it will do anything so remarkable that I'd stop using IE7, FF3, Safari, Camino or Opera 9.5 if any one of those were my primary browser (FF3 for me) to use it instead.

I think those who are thrilled by this just aren't using FF to its full extent. With the right extensions FF fully replaces IE, even to running Microsoft's ActiveX content within "IETab" windows, it protectively runs / disables scripts ("NoScript") and permits effortless cloud bookmark sync ("FoxMarks") These three add-ons alone, not to mention PicLens better viewing of Google's own image search pages, are enough to make FF stand out. I'm experimenting with snoopy Goober to run Maps and Docs, but no reason to make it default.

Chrome's far too basic for users that are use to advanced feature rich browsers like Opera.
You can't customise Chrome like you can with Firefox or Opera.
As for Chrome's most frequently visited sites feature.....it's a poor copy of Opera's superior Speed Dial feaure.
Chromes 3 size text resizer is pretty useless as anyone that is used to Opera's excellent zoom magnifiyer can testify.

Any good points about Chrome?

Well Chrome is fast but not much faster than Opera's latest browesr version 9.52.
Chrome sandboxed tab feature is a plus.

Overall though Chrome in it's current form can't match Opera.

Sorry Google : No Sale!

Where's the home button? I got lost, trapped in cyberspace for two hours hitting the back button because Google forgot a fraking "home" button

Sorry, but even though chrome may be a challenger to firefox and IE 7, it is no where close to the featres of IE8. I find your atricle was biased toward google. not evey product with the google stamp is de facto standard andwe should use it. Chrome is to basic and performance wise is not up to scratch. bugs i will let go casue it is a beta, but this browser breaks no new ground. I see it as google way to push their apps more efficiently to a browser since neither IE or Firefox would do so. Similar to how IE was hooked into windows before MS was forced to seperate the two.

Indeed, Chrome does look pretty, but impressive?!!!

I agree that Chrome is much too basic for advanced users. I downloaded and used it for a couple of days. It is very unimpressive, to say the least. It is extremely slow.

Bookmarks are a real headache to access and find the exact one.

I ended up uninstalling it and going back to Firefox 3.0.1.

I think "frustrating" would be more an accurate description of Chrome.

Very Fast, the only issue I have seen is the way it handles document download from a MS sharepoint site - takes the document and saves to local download folder - when I save it saves there and not back up to the sharepoint site. Maybe I'm not doing something right...?

It works pretty well for me, but
WHERE'S MY GOOGLE TOOLBAR?!!
I need my bookmarks. What a lame thing for Google to leave out!!

Personally, I feel most posts here are expecting way to much from a Beta, and some, I feel, completely miss the point saying that it's "to basic for advanced users." I (think) it's SUPPOSED to be streamlined and efficient.

But even if it's not, it's still a Beta.

Give them a chance to asslaminate everyone's comments, and have another crack at it.

Used for 3 days now, 90% satisfied, 90% of the time. That's more satisfying than most things, most of the time! :-)

-David Reed, MCSE

Interesting features. Too buggy at this point. Did not respond to some anchor tags and did not respond to image-based navigation links in several cases.

I think for a first cut, Chrome is looking pretty good.

I like how they implemented tabs, and especially how you can drag tabs around, both within a window and outside or to another window.

Not having a full-time status bar took some getting used to, but note that as you float over a link you do get a temporary status bar thingy in the lower left showing the URL associated with the link.

So far I like the integrated URL and search box. What I miss from a Google bar in other browsers is after doing a search having the buttons of the search terms to click on to find those words within the found Web page.

I too was annoyed by the lack of a Home button. Then it occurred to me to put my usual home page as one of the choices on the bookmarks bar. Problem solved.

Chrome seems to have a number of javascript problems. I've tripped over several things in facebook that simply don't work at all or do something unexpected, but the same things are fine in Firefox.

I miss adblock big time.

I look forward to the second beta release!

Very nice for a new take on a somewhat developed application.

Speed was very good for me on old Dell XP.

Photos cannot be viewed in real size, only automatic resizing mode -- bad for detailed photographic views or artwork. No way to modify view mode.

Incognito mode not good for parents who want to watch over what kids to/with their computers.

Thriving support groups -- we can vote on others comments and developers do respond.

A few thousand beta testers can only help with the development, but I wonder why it is so bare bones, given the long history of browser development. Architechture sounds good once they get the bugs out.

Geez, that's what I want -- more places for Google to spam me with Ads.

Aside from being a weak offering, it seems we are now at the point where Google could put out "Google Fart" and people would call it web changing technology.

Well, I guess being able to smell what's on pages would be potentially groundbreaking.

"Aside from being a weak offering, it seems we are now at the point where Google could put out "Google Fart" and people would call it web changing technology.

Well, I guess being able to smell what's on pages would be potentially groundbreaking."

...or windbreaking.

I have it loaded on Vista and XP. I would like a drop down for the history off the search field, and it needs to have a working java plugin for the XP platform. I have found it to perform well, but it does have issues rendering properly from the proxy server at work.

It would also be good for the incognito mode to protect your IP address and other private informaton from web servers. My main concern here is government spying and data collection on US persons. Google has already had issues with the government asking them to turn over data on users.

There is a home button guys.

You have to activate it the tools menu.

1.)UGLY IE COLOR. WHY NOT USE THE TRADITIONAL MAROONish, GREEN, YELLO and BLUE?

2.)!!!! Does not run all Java console applications completely!!! asking for a plug-in, NOT. BIG PROBLEMO GOOGLE.

There are many applications such as java based webcams that will not work in Chrome browser.

?Is this intentionally done because there are some other business application that require it also.

So my guess is the get you hooked and then only be able to use Google doc's programs.

OH NO not another monopoly emerging with beta nightmares and 12345678910 upgrade versions.

Going to have to pass even though it is a fast browser.

Also, Incognito DOES NOT fully do what it says.

I checked my websites SITEMETER. Yup it showed the IP and what my system was so no miracle water there either.

I'm using chrome for Google Docs. It's amazingly faster than FF3 for opening spreadsheets. But it's all it is good for me for now.

Now I know companies are not solely responsible for monopoly, its media and us.. we are tired of MSFT and we want a new one... and yes if google is trying why not make it the monopoly of the web world. Google wants a browser which has all their stuff built in and will work better in their website. It does not offer one single thing that is new!!!!! one process per tab.... u need to be helping people build pages that will never crash instead... and yes i will put it on my TV and my wrist watch... and we all will work from home in 5 years....

Chrome might be interesting if it does an excellent job running Google Gears. I used offline sync with Google Docs and that worked well. My guess is that is its main purpose, as an Internet OS (although Bryne denies that).

Otherwise, as other posters noted, buggy and sometimes slow. Chrome failed to display NBCOlympics.com properly (i suppose they'll blame MS for that). A private Web site I created with CSS runs fine in IE, in Fox, in Safari and won't come up at all in Chrome. I'm sure they would blame my CSS for that, but the other browsers don't have a problem.

The "clean" lay out basically means it often takes more clicks to do anything because they menu's are buried. How that is an improvement is beyond me.

Google claims it is better optimized for video, but I have yet to see that. Perhaps that will be shown off later.

I do lots of foreign language work and here is a website that only works with Internet Explorer and not with Chrome.

http://www.alarabimag.com/main.htm

I love Chrome though and I agree with all you said.

Another biased review from Rapoza. Hey Rapoza, are you blind? This is a Beta release and you think it's the next best thing since sliced bread.
Give me a break, you always are biased towards something. I'll find another review other than from eWeek that isn't so biased. And by the way, I installed it, opened a web page, closed it and un-installed it. There's better browsers out there and I don't think the final release of this is going to be much better. But we'll see, maybe it will and maybe eWeek can get a better writer to do technical reviews.

Chrome is a giant step forward, I un-installed Safari.
The MS Outlook webmail client needs fixing.
Fix that, and it is just about perfect.
Nicely done Goog!

cheers
HS

Have you read the EULA?? Here's a clip from section 11.1 - talk about a privacy issue!! I personally will never use this product while this EULA (or this part of the EULA) exists. Sorry Google!

By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.

I'm glad that we have another big name in the browser wars, which will just help us all in the long run; and, I'm planning to use Chrome.

What surprises me about this review and other similar reviews is the lack of knowledge on the reviewers part about Apple's Safari, which also uses WebKit (an older version) and the new developer version uses the new build, which has already gotten 100/100 on the ACID3 test.

Also, when this reviewer talked about the privacy mode, he compared it with Microsoft's beta product and completely failed to mention that Safari has had this feature for couple of years now. Along with no mention of web-browsers line OmniWeb that had thumbnail feature before Opera... and so on and so on.

Very poor reporting... incomplete facts. This is how people make poor choices, because people read stuff like this.

Extremely slow when viewing a PDF file. Errors when printing from Google Maps...i had to copy and paste the URL and print from Explorer!!

Are you people insane? I would NEVER use a browser that comes from a company that tries to take copyright of the content of the users of their browser.

When called on that Google says "Whoops, Sorry where did that come from" Come on people get your head out of the sand. Google collects so much personal information about its users already. Do you REALLY trust them not to watch EVERYTHING you do in THIER web browser?

There IS a reason Microsoft is adding privacy mode and Apple has had it for a while. It prevents google and other ad serving companies from tracking what you look at on all of the web pages you visit that have their ads. No Cookie, no trackie!

Stick with Microsoft, Mozilla, Opera and Apple. We don't need ANOTHER web browser.

I'm perfectly happy to use Chrome as my main, day-to-day browser, replacing Firefox 3. Sure, it's beta, and I've encountered the odd rendering bug. But on the whole, it performs well for me, and I love its usability features. I particularly like the clean, minimalist look -- it gives me maximum screen space.

Fortunately, I don't have much need for plug-ins, but that's just me. I'm sure plug-ins are coming, though.

Chrome is the first important step towards a cloud OS. Be patient. I believe a lot more is in store for us...

I've only tried it on two occasions so far, and both times I found it to be rather slow. It will be interesting to see how things work if/when the bugs are worked out.

Chrome from Google, eh? For that piece of crap called Vista, eh? What happens when Vista is retired early like it should be? eh?

Chrome doesn't render everything correctly. It has trouble with things like Sun Open Office which is a Beta too and other applications. My login for one of my financial links looked like an artwork by Picasso the first few times I went there.

After I open Chrome it starts working my hard drive with no other requests being made of the drive. Sometimes my wireless internet connection goes active at the same time. What's it doing? These things make me nervous and I won't use it anymore. It does this on my PC and my plain vanilla HP lappy. Something is really wrong with this software.

Few issues still remain to be resolved in chrome. For one, i cant seem to get my scroll up feature (on touchpad) to work on chrome, though it scrolls down just fine.
It also works on firefox and IE just fine.

I hesitate to use even upgraded versions of Chrome, since my last experience using it (first version) left my computer compromised; have they fixed the security issues beyond all doubt?

Impressive browser at first glance, though after some thorough use it lacks quite a bit, particularly in the tabbing system, which I tend to put through it's paces in FF without too much trouble.
Bugs everywhere, even at this late stage, multiple crashes, problems with dropdown menus and tab toggling issues that cause much hair pulling and pc rage.
Though I do like the search/address bar combination and the load times for most pages (as well as startup of the browser which is quite fast), I wouldn't make this my default browser just yet, I'll wait until the bugs are thoroughly cleaned up for heavy users like myself. Right now, Chrome will remain an extra 'novelty' browser on my laptop.